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worthy of earnest perusal, even apart from its solemn associations, being a well-thought out, well-arranged and wellworded homily on the beauty and nobleness of a life of faithful service in one's station and according to one's gifts. The text was happily chosen for the occasion: "John fulfilled his course;" strikingly appropriate to the career of Charles Prest, one of straightforward, steady, strenuous and indomitable service. Every one who enjoyed the privilege of close acquaintance with Mr. Prest, as a preacher and a speaker, in Conference, in committee and in social life, will feel the fidelity and felicity of the delineation, and recognise in it the hand of a master and of a friend. The appeal on behalf of Wesleyan Home Missions is most suitable and happy: the deceased could not have desired a more simple and practical improvement of his death.

Wesleyan Local Preachers: Biographical Illustrations of their Position in the Connexion, Utility in the Church and Influence in the World. By the Author of "Tyneside Celebrities." London: Elliot Stock. 1875.

It will be seen from the title that this volume has a distinct practical purpose, beyond that of doing honour to worthy men. The writer's object is to do justice to Local-preachers as a class, as well as to embalm the memory of distinguished members of that class. Any one with inadequate views of the value and importance of Local-preachers should be recommended to read this book. The author has selected six representative Local-preachers, Drew, Dawson, Hick, Hackworth, Bush and Embury, who form a striking and impressive group. The freshest sketch is that of Timothy Hackworth, the inventor: "the father of the locomotive engine." This is the most interesting part of the volume. Mr.

Lawson deserves the thanks of all lovers of justice and fair-play as well as every "lover of good men," for having brought further out into the light one of the nobles of nature and grace; whose genius, virtues and piety had never received due recognition from either the Church or the world. Thomas Bush, the philanthropist too will, we hope, become more widely known by means of this work. Not intended to be exhaustive, and with no great pretensions to literary power or polish, and going to a large extent over old ground, the book works out vigorously a good idea and is readable, stimulating

and edifying; very suitable for a Sundayschool library.

Four Years' Campaign in India. By WILLIAM TAYLOR, Author of "California Life Illustrated," etc. don Hodder and Stoughton.

66

Lon

1875.

Though not so excitingly entertaining as California Life" nor nearly so wellwritten as "Election of Grace," this is a spirited narrative which cannot fail to interest all who are watching the progress of the Gospel in India. It throws considerable light on mission work in that vast field, and is enlivened here and there with dashes of humorous description and softened by touches of holy pathos. But we are bound to confess our surprise and regret that Mr. Taylor should have thought fit to exchange the work for which he is so conspicuously endowed, and in which he has been so signally blessed, that of a visiting revivalist, for the untried, and as it seems to us, uncalledfor task of an organizer and originator of what is practically a new denomination. He has deemed it right to disregard the understanding amongst the missionaries and the resolution of the Allahabad Missionary Conference "against going into territory pre-occupied by other missions," or, at least, to regard himself as an exception to the rule. He is justly indignant at "the encroachments of the Bishop of Bombay," but he thinks himself moved by the Spirit to deliberately construct and set up what he regards as a patternchurch, but what is in actual working a rival church, in the presence of preexisting evangelical and Methodist communities.

The reasons which he assigns for this new movement are, in our judgment, utterly insufficient to warrant such a step. He takes very high ground, which might seem to place him far above the strictures of a reviewer of his book. He says: "I will walk after the Spirit. If He forbid my going into Asia or Bithynia, I must not go. If He lead me to Macedonia or to Troas, no matter who has been there before me, I must go." Under the shelter of those two ifs, we shall make bold to weigh both Mr. Taylor's assigned reasons and his assumed reticence. We beg to recommend to Mr. Taylor's consideration-and few men can either put or estimate an argument better than he the following caveat of "the judicious Hooker" to some in his day who took up a like position : "What other effect could hereupon ensue, but the utter confusion of His Church, under pre

tence of being taught, led and guided by His Spirit? The gifts and graces whereof do so naturally all tend unto common peace, that where such singularity is, they whose hearts it possesseth ought to suspect it the more, inasmuch as if it did come from God, and should for that cause prevail with others, the same God which revealeth it to them, would also give them power of confirming it unto others, either with miraculous operation, or with strong and invincible remonstrance of sound reason, such as whereby it might appear that God would indeed have all men's judgments give place unto it; whereas now the error and insufficiency of their arguments do make it on the contrary side against them a strong presumption, that God hath not moved their hearts to think such things as He hath not enabled them to prove."

To examine the validity of Brother Taylor's arguments, and the aptness of his analogies, comes clearly within our province. We cannot but think that he has got hold of the wrong analogy, when he compares the Spirit's supposed leading him to Bombay and Calcutta to organize a new church, with the Spirit's suffering not the Apostle to go into Bithynia. We think we could point out other Pauline analogies much more apposite, e.g.: "So have I striven to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation ;" (Romans xv.20;) "James, Cephas and John

gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision." (Galatians ii. 9.) And as to Brother Taylor's reasons: no doubt his object is a good one; there can scarcely be a better, namely, to present to the view alike of Christians and heathens the impressive spectacle of a truly earnest, self-denying church. But his way of going about the accomplishment of this seems to us very questionable. He diverges from his former and most favoured effort to raise existing churches to the due standard of earnestness and self-denial, and falls into the gross delusion of supposing that any man can organize earnestness. Besides, it is possible that as much carnality may breathe in the cry, "I am of Christ," as in any other watchword of religious partisanship. What was that "building upon another man's foundation" from which the bold, zealous, enterprising Apostle' shrunk? Surely this is building on another man's foundation, to accept an invitation from a brother minister to conduct a series of

special services in his chapel, for the purpose of stirring up the church and bringing to immediate decision members of the congregation who had not yet joined the church, and having thus secured a base of operations, and gained prestige and reputation, to forthwith set up a church of his own close by, and admit to it persons who had been impressed under his ministrations whilst acting in the character in which he came, that of an auxiliary evangelist. This is what Mr. Taylor did, according to his own showing in the book before us.

We would not make any man, much less such " a man, an offender for a word," yet we cannot but note a certain tone of, doubtless quite unconscious, egotism in the way in which he speaks of " my preachers," etc. It is but right to say that our view of Mr. Taylor's new movement is derived entirely from his own book. It is also fair to state that Brother Taylor has accepted some sort of connection with, though no sort of control from, the Missionary Society of the American Episcopal Church. If he had acted to the brethren elsewhere, in Calcutta, for example, as he did to those at Madras, no reasonable exception could have been made to his procedure. On his resolving to visit the latter city, the missionaries, aware of his action in Bombay and Calcutta, sent him a hearty welcome, coupled with the expression of a hope that he "would not organize a church there." To this he most properly replied, "I will leave that entirely to the Lord's leading, as He may manifest it clearly, not only to me, but to you and your friends." Here, he acted in accordance with an apostolic axiom which he had before lost sight of, "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." By this later and better action, he rebuked his former proceedings.

Sermons for Children. By MARK GUY PEARSE. London: Wesleyan Conference Office.

In these days, happily, it is no uncommon thing to see great truths presented to children in a way which they can understand and appreciate; but among the many writers, whose works we have seen, who have in this respect done virtuously, we have no hesitation in saying that Mr. Pearse excelleth them all. In these sermons, which are just the right length, there is the happiest combination of fresh, interesting, and often amusing anecdote and illustration, with sound moral truth, and tender, earnest and most

impressive appeal. We can scarcely imagine little boys and girls reading "The Child Minister," or "I have Redeemed Thee," without longing to "live and work for Jesus; " and for older children, who are almost growing out of the name, we have never seen anything better calculated to strike home than "The Valley of Decision" and "A Question to Ask and Answer."

The getting up of the book is all that could be desired, with its pretty, attractive binding and many really beautiful pictures.

Life and Labours of John Ashworth. By

A. L. CULMAN. Tubbs and Brook,
Market Street, Manchester. Simpkin,
Marshall, & Co., London.

The volume before us only claims to be a sketch, and contains little that is not familiar to the readers of "Strange Tales," and John Ashworth's other writings; but as the record of a singularly eventful and useful life, it will be read with pleasure and profit, and be the means of kindling and quickening zeal in the Master's service. We hope it will have a wide circulation. The proceeds of the work are devoted to the Chapel for the Destitute.

Life and Labours of Duncan Matheson,

the Scottish Evangelist. By Rev. J. MCPHERSON. New Edition. London: Morgan and Scott. 1875.

We are glad to see another edition of one of the most healthy and stimulating biographies we have ever read. Duncan Matheson's life was a striking illustration of the amount of good that can be accomplished by a man of one aim. His life work was to win souls for Christ, and all his actions seemed to bear the stamp of his motto, "For God and Eternity." The story of his toils and successes is very graphically told, and the author's own observations, especially on Mr. Matheson's conversion and early religious experience, are a very valuable portion of the book. Laura Linwood; or, The Price of an Accomplishment. By the Author of "The White Cross and Dove of Pearls." London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1875.

From Methodism to Rome, viâ a pure French accent, this is the outline of Laura Linwood's story. The warning is by no means unnecessary in these days of showy education and specious and subtile Ritualism. The tale is well told, the characters clearly sketched, the plot

skilfully constructed and developed, the teaching healthy. Stories with a moral are proverbially uninteresting; this certainly forms an exception to a rule but seldom violated. The moral is never sacrificed to the interest, yet the interest is in no way lessened for the sake of the moral. Let parents read this book for its sound, sensible and Christian views of education; let the daughters of our people read it for its truthful picture of Rome's methods of deluding youthful earnestness and of the terrible misery in which her ways end. A word more on two points. "Laura Linwood" is a Methodist story, written from a Methodist stand-point. In religious fiction, with one or two valuable exceptions, Methodism is either ignored or made to contrast most unfavourably with other churches. We could wish the portrait painted in the narrative before us were more attractive. Methodism, as here drawn, is narrow, unintellectual, and not quite free from sanctimoniousness. The ministers are conspicuous only for their utter want of influence, and the length of their sermons. The Romish priests are learned, impressive, earnest. The Ritualistic rector and his curates at any rate possess the last-mentioned quality; but Wesleyan ministers, so far as can be gathered from this book, do not visit their flock and are little noticed by their members. The Bellethorpe Circuit must have been afflicted, for a long succession of years, with the very weakest men the Conference could possibly select for a station where they were expected to confine themselves to ministrations from the pulpit.

From a comparison of the title-page with the advertisement-sheet, we learn that the authoress of "Laura Linwood" has written also " Blind Olive " and "The White Cross and Dove of Pearls." We congratulate her heartily on the marked improvement of her latest work upon the first-named story. In strength, finish and completeness, the increase is remarkable, and proves that "Sarson" has not mistaken her vocation in literature. But we are bound to add that the pen from which proceeded "The White Cross and Dove of Pearls" ought to produce work that will live to the third and fourth generation after the hand that wielded it has lost its cunning. We shall watch for "Sarson's " next work with anxious curiosity. Her danger is lest facility of production and urgency of demand should induce haste and carelessness.

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HAYMAN BROTHERS AND LILLY, 19, CROSS STREET, HATTON GARDEN, E.C.

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